Spam: Where it Came From, and How to Escape It

Spam: Where it Came From, and How to Escape It Who Cooked This!? (How did it all start?) The modern meaning of the word “spam” has nothing t...

Spam: Where it Came From, and How to Escape ItWho Cooked This!? (How did it all start?) The modern meaning of the word “spam” has nothing to do with spiced ham. In the early 1990’s, a skit by British comedy group Monty Python led to the word’s common usage. “The SPAM Skit” follows a couple struggling to order dinner from a menu consisting entirely of Hormel’s canned ham. Repetition is key to the skit’s hilarity. The actors cram the word “SPAM” into the 2.5 minute skit more than 104 times! This flood prompted Usenet readers to call unwanted newsgroup postings “spam“.